Worker rights under scrutiny as GSP + gets underway
Access to the European Union (EU) has been opened without trade barriers since Friday May 19 but certain issues concerning worker rights in Sri Lanka still need to be ironed out with the government to ensure improved conditions on the factory floor, an issue often raised by trade unions, according to EU officials.
Trade unions would need to continue lobbying if worker rights is to become a reality, EU Ambassador for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Tung-Lai Margue told the Business Times on the sidelines of a media briefing held on Tuesday at the mission office in Colombo to announce the resumption of the EU Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) +.
The ambassador noted that they would continue to be in touch with the trade unions on the issues and pointed out that there remains “concerns” relating to worker rights.
Labour standards in the factories would be subject to scrutiny, he said adding that if companies did not comply with the required standards then there could be consequences.
Commenting on the trade unions’ requirement to pass down 50 per cent of the benefit of the GSP + concessions to the workers, Mr. Margue said that though they could not insist (buyers) on it they would encourage it.
When the assessment was made concerning the labour issues late last year the European Commission had found that there were “no serious shortcomings,” EU Political, Trade and Communications Section Head Paul Godfrey said adding however that submissions made by the trade unions in Sri Lanka had raised a number of issues.
These, he explained, would need to be worked out with the government and the EU and would be subject to the continued monitoring process as a result of which the EU Delegation would have consultations with the trade unions in Sri Lanka in future.
The ambassador also told the Business Times that they had concerns regarding the (early) age of marriage and pointed out that although this has been linked to a cultural matter the EU would need to look at it more carefully. He explained that there were issues concerning marrying off a girl at the age of 12.
Meanwhile trade unions during meetings with the Labour Ministry and the Board of Investment (BOI) recalled promises made to the workers as a prerequisite for the resumption of the EU trade concessions.
Union had requested the government to keep to the promise of passing down 50 per cent of the trade benefit to the workers by improving their working conditions and to ensure that trade union activity in the factories are allowed, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union Joint Secretary Anton Marcus told the Business Times.
Sri Lanka will stand to gain an additional Euros 300 million per year in export value as a direct benefit to Sri Lanka and Euros 1 billion in a few years resulting in a reduction in the country’s trade deficit, the Ambassador said.
The EU is currently Sri Lanka’s largest export market generating more than Euros 2.6 billion in revenue to the country last year alone.
He noted that certain areas of concerns remained like bringing in a new legislation for counter terrorism replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the child rights on age of marriage, incidents of torture and the terms of reconciliation.
These among other matters relating to the 27 international conventions on human rights, labour conditions, protection of the environment and good governance would continue to be scrutinised, the Ambassador said.